Hand Therapy for Patients

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To be most effective, hand therapy should be administered by a hand therapist who has specific knowledge, skills, and experience. That’s because the hand is a highly complex structure, comprising more than one fourth of the 206 bones in the human body, along with an intricate arrangement of underlying joints, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and skin. Patients in Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, and other nearby Virginia areas who are seeking this type of expertise can receive outstanding orthopaedic care from the specialists at Tidewater Orthopaedics.

Just like our orthopaedic surgeons, the hand therapists at our Hampton Roads clinic complete focused training and attain specialized certifications. Specifically, our hand therapists are certified through the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC), which entails passing the rigorous HTCC exam. In addition, to become a certified hand therapist (CHT), a candidate must complete a minimum of five years of postgraduate experience, with at least 4,000 hours devoted exclusively to hand therapy. Of the 90 CHTs in the state of Virginia who are registered with the American Society of Hand Therapists, two practice at Tidewater Orthopaedics, working closely with our hand surgeons. This is important because a hand therapist must not only be familiar with the precise anatomy of a patient’s hand, but he or she must also understand exactly what a treating surgeon did.

Due to the intricacy of the hand and its importance to daily functioning, hand therapy is usually recommended following surgery, and may include:

Incision care and assessment

Splinting

Prescribing and assisting with proper exercises

Attending follow-up appointments with surgeons

Monitoring patient progress

Outstanding teamwork between surgeons and hand therapists is at the heart of the care provided by Tidewater Orthopaedics. Our reputation for excellence is recognized throughout Hampton Roads, and we are well respected by our peers, who often refer complex surgery and hand therapy cases to us.

Patients in Hampton, Williamsburg, Newport News, and elsewhere on the Peninsula who would like to learn more about hand therapy can call 757-827-2480 to schedule a consultation with an orthopaedic subspecialist at Tidewater Orthopaedics.